Kitchens Sell Homes

By May Baydoun

You may have heard this before! As a matter of fact, you have probably heard this over and over again. The reason you keep hearing it is because the statement is entirely true. Kitchens do sell homes. There obviously needs to be a combination of factors that are met but ultimately a clean modern kitchen will go a long way in helping you sell your house. You see, a kitchen is truly the heart of a home. This is where people gather to have conversation and enjoy a good time. No matter where the party starts, everyone always ends up in the kitchen, no matter how small it is. Therefore it is normal that the kitchen be one of the rooms that will have the most influence on a prospective buyer's decision to purchase a house. There are a few things that can be done to update the look of a kitchen on a small budget. You could start off by considering a refinishing project for your cabinets, although changing the hardware may be enough to give your kitchen a new look. Clear the countertops and use only small decorative items. Also just as important is to make your appliances sparkle.

The first thing that prospective buyers will notice as they walk into your kitchen is the cabinets. It is important that they look great. This does not mean that they need to have been installed very recently. I personally have cabinets that were built in 1986 and no one ever notices that my kitchen is original. How do I do it? It's quite simple really! You need to make sure that your cabinet doors are leveled, that the cabinet doors are holding up straight and that they are very clean. This immediately gives a buyer the impression that you take good care of your house. If the varnish or paint on your cabinets isn't looking so great, cleaning them might do the trick. Try a little bit of dish soap on a soft rag. If that doesn't do the trick, you can consider a refinishing project with easy to use kits that are sold in hardware stores. Keep in mind that there may be a simple solution for your kitchen cabinets. Before you go ahead with a refinishing project, consider changing the hardware on your cabinets and drawers. Simply replacing the outdated hardware with more modern looking pieces will go a long way in changing the look of your cabinetry.

Secondly, when you are tackling the staging of your kitchen, you will need to clear away any items that are on your kitchen counters. As a general rule, if you are not using it daily you need to put it away. If you absolutely need the item, be it a small appliance or your dish-rack; make sure that when a buyer is visiting your house, you make those things disappear. A realtor I know even advises her sellers to put it in the oven during the visit. Just make sure you remember to take them back out before you turn the oven on. Clearing your countertops and leaving only decorative items such as small planted herbs or a bowl of fruits will showcase how much counter space you really have. This is a huge selling point for a kitchen.

Lastly, your appliances can say a lot about you and how you take care of your house. When a buyer sees dirty stovetops and oil splatters on your range, or even fingerprints on your refrigerator door, you can bet that their first though is that the rest of the house is just the same. It is important that your appliances literally sparkle in the kitchen. This is especially true for stainless steel appliances that have a tendency to easily show fingerprints and dirt. To easily clean your stove top, you can use dish soap on a sponge. You can also use dish soap on the front surface of both your range as well as the refrigerator. Tilex is a great product to clean the built up grease on top of your refrigerator.

When it comes to home staging, you will want to spend some time and effort in your kitchen. Staging the kitchen goes a long way in terms of putting money back in your pocket. The cleaner and more modern looking your kitchen is, the less likely a buyer will be to think that it needs a complete demolition and renovation. This means that they won't be negotiating the price of a new kitchen when they decide to give you an offer. You will be able to get more by simply giving your kitchen a facelift, clearing out your counter and cleaning up your appliances. Clean and clear is what makes it look fantastic!